Giving kids toy guns / dollies and prams.

[indy and lara]

Im not PC , at all. Kids will be kids , wana make gun noises fair enough. Carly plays shooting games on the xbox and the wii . NO there not killing games but shooting targets , and lego games where you shoot and the lego people break.

Same as pushchairs and babies , we have tons , infact have a baby born nursery in Carlys room Has no affect , they will all still do it anyway , as someone said above kids find anything and make it into a gun etc. Carly does out of mega blocks

I've no problem with target shooting either

Yip, agreed. Big difference with target games, etc and the ones which splatter blood all over the screen.

 

[Laura2919]

My OH and brother have played shooting games (the blood splatter type) and neither have had or owned a gun! I dont think you can blame games I just think its easy to put the blame on

 

[indy and lara]

^^^ My husband plays these too....he hasn't gone out and shot anyone either. It is not adults that concern me, it is young kids seeing and playing them. They don't understand what they are seeing or that it is a fantasy situation. Some of the scenes are pretty graphic and frightening for young kids to see.

 

[NuKe]

i really would like to think that's not directed at me? I don't think that these toys have a negative affect on kids, I certainly don't think giving a kid a toy gun will turn him into a serial killer or having a dolly will mean a little girl will become pregnant at 13. I was just interested in what people think for gods sake.

I wouldn't let my kids play with toy guns as I said in my op, I just don't like it.

Well you do like to start these threads that in my opinion, feel like you may have too much time on your hands or you just like to stir opinion

well if starting a thread while my daughter has her nap after I've made dinner/cleaned up/got dressed/washed/got myself something to eat means I have too much time on my hands, then yes I'm guilty. I start threads because I am genuinely interested in people's opinions. Arguments start or things get heated because some people can't seem to express their opinions in a respectful way. I'd never dream of saying something like that to someone, especially when I never said I thought there was a problem with giving toy guns to kids!!!

I've posted 2 threads in here in the past while. 2. There are people who post a LOT more than me, do they have too much time on their hands also? I don't think a forum should be made up of threads of people all agreeing with what the op said. How boring would that be?? I don't want any bad feeling here, not at all. I just wish people could express their opinions without resorting to insults.

 

[lozzy21]

I think the gun thing is PC gone to far. My generation played with guns and no one i know has been involved in any crime let alone gun crime. We played things like cops and robbers and cowboys and indians where the "good" ones had the guns and tryed to put the "bad" ones in jail.

They dont necciseraly have to watch TV or computer games with lots of violance or blood for it to have an impact, They will see it on any american tv show that has a police officer in it, Hell even star treck has a a form of gun in it and thats played before the watershed.

 

[NuKe]

I completely agree. I don't think life imitates art at all. As long as she sticks to the age rating on films, I've no problem with Poppy watching whatever movies etc she wants (as long as she's old enough!)

 

[SKATERBUN]

No not the dolls, I had dolls and prams when i was little and it didnt do me any harm. I'm looking forwards to letting my LO play with baby borns and barbies hehe

With guns though I find they are bit agressive. If I did have a boy I think I would introduce him to calmer toys, guns symbolise violence imo, but ironically I dont mind those fake wooden swords you get, you know the knights ones you can get in the gift shops in castles.

 

[Phinners]

Not pc load of crap for me either - I just dont like to see kids running around pretending to kill/shoot each other. I've never seen him run around making a gun out of something else just so he has a gun to play with either.

 

[lozzy21]

This world has just gone mad, instead of using common sence politicans and people like ofstead get an idea into there heads and dont think it through propperly.


Next children wont be able to play with dolls and prams because it will incourage them to have under age sex or be able to play doctors and nurses because the pretend needles will turn them into drug addicts.

 

[sabby52]

Both my boys played with Guns, Dec still does, I dont have a problem with it at all. Dan who is almost 13 plays playstation games with guns, Call of duty I think it is called.

Both my boys have also played with prams and dolls.

 

[mommyof3co]

I used to be completely against toy guns, until 3 boys later I realize they will make a gun out of ANYTHING and shoot each other playing. Legos apparently make the best guns. So now we do allow some toy guns but none that look real. So things like Nerf guns, they have a Buzz Lightyear laser gun...those are ok.

As for dolls and strollers, yes I would buy them. My middle son got them for his 5th birthday because he really wanted it. I don't think it has any negative effect. They are pretending to be like mommy and daddy, it's natural. I think it also teaches them how to be with a baby and they are learning to be good mommies and daddies

 

[SKATERBUN]

I'm the most unpolitically correct person you can talk to, i think times have changed though and little boys are changing. Boys these days (in past 10 years) are brought up to be a lot more sensitive and hopefully empathetic towards feelings and emotion now. Especially towards their female peers.
In the same way girls are taught to be more assertive and offered a lot more opprtunity in the male orientated world.

Its nothing to do with PC imo, even a plastic gun frightens me tbh, its just what they symbolise in this day and age with all the terrorism and wars in the world, its sad.

I think we all have different ways of bringing up our kids, nobody tells me what to do I just use my own common sense and guidance.

 

[NuKe]

I'm the most unpolitically correct person you can talk to, i think times have changed though and little boys are changing. Boys these days (in past 10 years) are brought up to be a lot more sensitive and hopefully empathetic towards feelings and emotion now. Especially towards their female peers.
In the same way girls are taught to be more assertive and offered a lot more opprtunity in the male orientated world.

Its nothing to do with PC imo, even a plastic gun frightens me tbh, its just what they symbolise in this day and age with all the terrorism and wars in the world, its sad.

I think we all have different ways of bringing up our kids, nobody tells me what to do I just use my own common sense and guidance. :D

totally agree. id never tell someone they wer wrong for doing things a different way to me! we all do what we think is best, doesn't mean ppl who do things differently are wrong!

 

[BlackBerry25]

I think this is a fair thread to have.

I don't know where I stand really. I guess I don't have a strong opinion either way.

I probably wouldn't buy a gun, but like momof3 I most likely buy a nerf gun, or a water gun...?

Dolls, we have. H hates them

I would let a daughter or a son play with whatever toys they wanted, I don't think I would worry about the gender thing.

Before I didn't like cleaning and cooking toys for girls, but now I realize that H just wants to either help or copy me, nothing wrong with that! I am sure it would be the same for a boy She also likes to "help" me build things with her little tool set

 

[NuKe]

thats it. i mean i had a little kitchen wen i was young and i LOVED it, do I think this has anything to do with the fact I love to cook? No way!!!

 

[mandy81]

Yeah Dylan plays with guns all the time
the only thing that annoys me about it is the fact that everytime were out he wants a bloody gun lol

I do know where your coming from nuke, loads of people wouldn't let their kids play with them, for there own reasons xxx

 

[aliss]

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh I'm conflicted.

While I agree that it is primarily the parents job to regulate certain toys (ie plastic guns), I have seen a couple of immature pre-teens and teens almost get shot because they think it is funny to wave around a plastic gun in public. I've seen one get bit by the police dog after running away waving a (plastic) gun around. The majority of gun calls we get at work (I'm a 911 dispatcher) are fake guns but quite a few of them resemble real ones (even revolvers) and unfortunately chances are not taken.

So I'm not a huge fan of them. I doubt a plastic orange duck hunt nintendo gun would be mistaken by a police officer but that doesn't mean that Joe citizen doesn't call the police screaming that someone has a gun at the mall - they do this all the time...

Who knows!

 

[impatient1]

I personally don't see a problem with my child of either sex playing with either. My brother and I played with dolls, cars, guns, lego, shooting video games, etc. and none of it has had any effect on how we act.

 

[freckleonear]

I used to be completely against toy guns, until 3 boys later I realize they will make a gun out of ANYTHING and shoot each other playing. Legos apparently make the best guns. So now we do allow some toy guns but none that look real. So things like Nerf guns, they have a Buzz Lightyear laser gun...those are ok.

As for dolls and strollers, yes I would buy them. My middle son got them for his 5th birthday because he really wanted it. I don't think it has any negative effect. They are pretending to be like mommy and daddy, it's natural. I think it also teaches them how to be with a baby and they are learning to be good mommies and daddies

This! We don't have any toy guns but Aaron will use his fingers or a random object to point and say "bang bang". I blame my dad for pretending to shoot the pigeons in town! I'll let him have things like water pistols or potato guns when he is older.

He also has a doll (actually that should be had, as he ripped the arms off ) but he's never been in the slightest bit interested in it. I think they are great roleplay toys for girls and boys, just like cooking and cleaning toys.

 

[morri]

I don't know about ty gun would buy it probably but if my 'future' kid bought it from pocket money I would first explain the usual suff like not pinting on people etc.
It is not lik all guns are bad (like if you use it for sport shooting)

(and nobody runs around with real guns hee thats not allowed lol)